Rock 'em Sock 'em Dramon!
Scene: After Leomon's death, Benjamon was forced to realize that the Prophecy of the Digi-Destined is more powerful and potentially dangerous than he previously thought. Knowing now that his presence now endangers the Digi-Destined in their quest to defeat the Dark Masters, Benjamon leaves Joe and Mimi in order to find the others and say goodbye...
High above the desert sands, Psisauromon glided on a platform of psionic energy, searching out the Digi-Destined's thoughts. Mind waves leave a slight ripple in data fields, much like masses can be found by looking for gravitational depressions in the fabric of space-time. There wasn't much but a faint pull to the north, where the most minds were located. Matt had gone off on his own, and at this distance he wasn't an efficient choice to pursue.
Miles slid by, telephone poles and roads but mostly sand. Slight course corrections based on where Psisauromon felt the children's minds were no major task, so he had plenty of time to figure out what he was going to say.
'I can't stay with you, even though I want to. I have to leave for good to protect your safety by preserving the prophecy... doesn't feel right'
'Ask not what your countr... no.'
'When, in the course of human events... no.'
'I cannot stay, I must be going... er, no.'
'And a time for every purpose under the heavens... Maybe.'
'Ah, I'll figure it out when I get there.'
Over the horizon, the yellow sands were replaced by a growing gray mass, a city skyline set in the middle of the wasteland. 'Surely they weren't silly enough to go in there...' he thought. A building collapsed, vanishing from the mixed skyline before he heard a loud blast and rumble. 'On the other claw, they'll go wherever they have to... this accursed Destiny that's forcing my departure from the Digi-Destined is dragging them into traps!' Psisauromon crouched on the Psi Shield and accelerated, turning the remaining miles into a blur as he left a jet trail of fire in his wake.
'What is this place? The Space Needle, The Golden Gate Bridge, Tokyo Tower, The Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, Empire State Building and World Trade Center, Sydney Opera House, and the Acropolis? Is this the city from "Babe 2"? Man, what a weird amalgamation of countries and architectural styles!' Psisauromon looked out over the great city and saw devastated city blocks with strange mechanical Digimon patrolling the streets. Also, there were three mental signatures of Digimon that sent a thrilled shudder along his broad spine...Dramon! 'Well, now. An amusing diversion...' Something in Psisauromon's blood spoke, overriding his previous logic by flooding him with the thrill of battle against his own kind. 'Let's take it up a notch, then.'
((Psisauromon Digivolve to... DRAGUDRAMON!"
"HYPER CANNON!" A shell raced past Dragudramon's head. Looking down, Dragudramon spotted the insolent Digimon that had shot at him. A Tankmon, with a large millimeter cannon for a nose, tank treads, and missile delivery systems on each hand. "HYPER CANNON!" Shouted another, launching their explosive shell. Dragudramon swept to the side, talons ripping through the penthouse of a hotel as the shell flew off and vanished in the sky. A whole platoon of Tankmon rolled out from the side streets, heads all pointed at him.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Tankmon
Level: Champion
Type: Data
Classification: Android Digimon
"Stupid fools. DRAGON INFERNO!" Dragudramon flew the length of the avenue, exhaling flame that incinerated the entire battalion, turned the asphalt into a molten pit of hell, and generally wreaked fiery havoc wherever his breath touched. "That'll do nicely...Now, where are those kids?"
Something circled behind him. "And who are you?" it hissed. "Speak fast or die."
"Dragudramon. What's your beef?" Dragudramon backpedaled his armored wings and landed in an intersection, turning slowly to face the voice head-on. Hovering above the street and training a missile tube on the red dragon, a Megadramon looked like he meant business.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Megadramon
Level: Ultimate
Type: Virus
Classification: Dark Dragon Digimon
Attacks:
Genocide Attack: Threat level Medium, class 6. High-yield missiles shot from 'hands'
Ultimate Slicer: Threat level Medium, class 4. Energy blades fired from closed 'hands'
Description:
In thrall to Machinedramon, used to create large-scale destruction. Except for metal 'helmet', only real armor exists in biomechanical arms, where both attacks are initiated. Suggest amputation of Megadramon's limbs to prevent serious retaliation. Snakelike body and leathery wings are excellent for turns and evasive maneuvers, advantageous in urban dogfighting.
"What are you doing here, Dragudramonwhatsyourbeef? Answer quickly." Megadramon commanded, clicking his steely flanges open and shut menacingly.
"Listening to a very poor joke." Dragudramon snorted, folding his armored arms across his chest and looking away in contempt.
"You are not permitted to occupy any area of this city. The penalty for trespassing is death!"
"There's a surprise. I'll bet the penalty for loitering is death, as well as the penalty for jaywalking, littering, and parking infractions."
"So you die!" six claws snapped open, revealing the bores of missile tubes.
"Alas, what shall become of me? Why must brother Dramon fight?" Dragudramon sighed dramatically, drawing the back of one taloned hand across the ridge of his nose.
"GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Missiles with faces rushed out, leaving a trail of smoke.
Dragudramon dropped to the street as the missiles whistled just over the bony frill wrapped about the back of his head. "You pathetic, worthless---!" he bellowed as the explosives blew out the foundations of twenty-story office buildings to his left and right, bringing the structures down onto his head!
"GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Megadramon shot off another pair of missiles into the pile of debris, making sure he not only destroyed Dragudramon, but also buried the trespasser where he stood.
The pile of steel, concrete and glass was still, but smoking.
"Ahh... Nothing like a job well done." The remaining dragon turned to go...
"...EXCUSE FOR A DRAMON!" Dragudramon finished, surging up in a shower of shimmering glass and steel. Clouds of concrete dust flowed off his silver wings and red scales. He shaking his head vigorously, he glared at Megadramon. "That will be known as mistake number one." Dragudramon growled, plucking a network of girders from the debris around him and ripping it into the longest straight piece possible. "We're going to play a game. You run---and I'll kill you as nastily as I can."
"You don't stand a chance against me! ULTIMATE SLICER!" claws clanked shut, the points glowing a brilliant, deep blue. From each hand, a crescent energy blade flashed forth, spinning like propellers and weaving through the air, tearing chunks out of the buildings unfortunate enough to be in the way.
"You're only making it more painful for yourself!" Dragudramon grinned sadistically, teeth scattering the light in all directions, waiting as the whirling indigo blades came ever closer. "The more you try to win, the longer I'm going to let you suffer. HRUGH!" Dragudramon hunkered on his massive legs, then launched into the air, flipping head over tail, the blades passing harmlessly under him. The flat of his tail whirled around and slammed into Megadramon's armored head, knocking the dark dramon into the pavement. "Now, my brother, I'm going to give you the latest rage in fashion... A head ring." Bending the girder into a large circle, Dragudramon set the ends onto Megadramon's metal helmet and exhaled fire onto the connecting surfaces until the steel melted together. Megadramon thrashed about the street, screaming in agony. "See how easy it is for me to cause pain in the dark and twisted?" Spreading his silver wings, Dragudramon fanned the red-hot metal cool, giving Megadramon a permanent handle. "Okay, buckethead." Dragudramon growled, picking up his enemy by the bent girder.
"LET ME GO, FIEND!" Megadramon screeched as Dragudramon's right hand wrapped around the serpentine neck and clenched the ring in his left.
"Fat chance!" the sun dragon Digimon replied, simultaneously pulling and twisting the dark dragon's body from its head.
"AHHHH! GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Megadramon opened fire at point-blank range, firing missile after missile into Dragudramon's armored belly. Both dramon vanished in the expanding blast field, the city blocks around them disintegrating into so many clouds of dust and shrapnel. The explosions stopped suddenly, the entire city ringing with echoes of detonating warheads. At the epicenter, there was a crunch of separating vertebrae and a dull clank as Megadramon's severed head rolled out, jaw opening and shutting in shock before disintegrating into its component data.
"Light serves to defeat the dark, some say." Dragudramon rumbled from within the settling dust. "But they are wrong... So was I. And so was Megadramon." He would have continued to wax poetic on the subject, but he looked down to check for damage, and... "That sonofa... He scratched my armor! Mon, It'll take AGES to buff it back to shining! Rest in pieces, Megadramon!" Dragudramon launched into the air and soared away, grumbling about fine-grit sandpaper and Brillo pads.
The activities had not gone unnoticed; city blocks don't just explode without apparent reason. The army of machines converged on the crater, and found nothing but detritus and debris, molten glass and concrete, steel and smoldering wood. At the underground control center, the Gearmon were confused... "Megadramon has vanished from detection field!" one whined, scanning the city again.
"There was an energy surge before final tracking signal was received; perhaps we should consider the Megadramon unit destroyed." the second said, teeth grinding.
"An acceptable assumption, Gearmon. We have also lost a full battalion of Tankmon."
"Search units report no further activity in the area. Give the order to widen search to the air?"
"Affirmative! Machinedramon has followed the Digi-destined underground; we should eliminate all possible sources of outside interference."
The box-like Mechanorimon took off from the crater, thrusters firing from their feet. Already instituting an expanding spiral search pattern was a coal gray Gigadramon who now had a personal reason to destroy the interloper.
"That's the biggest molehill I've ever seen!" Dragudramon exclaimed as he circled above a hole the size of an office block. 'The Digi-Destined don't seem to be above ground... I would've been able to find them, I'm sure.' He thought, finding no need to speak to the cavernous network of tunnels and lines below. 'They must be down there. It's the only location I can't fly over.'
With a great back sweep of wings, Dragudramon slowed his flight and drifted down to the darkness. Just as his claws caught on the rim of the crater...
"INTRUDER LOCATED." A bolt of red light smashed into the toughened scales, driving Dragudramon down the hole. Scrabbling to regain his footing was awarded with a volley of five identical blows "You bastards!" the dramon grunted, tearing chunks of concrete and asphalt from the edge as each 'Twin Beam' blew him deeper into the ground. "You're starting to piss me off!" "I'm warning you!" "Oh, you're dead now!" Unable to spread his wings within the confines of the hole, Dragudramon steadily lost ground, slipping into the darkness of the underground. Logically, He should have just gone down, but a call to battle surged in his algorithms, flooded his subroutines.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Mechanorimon:
Level: Champion
Type: Virus
Classification: Machine Digimon
Attack:
Twin beam: Threat level Low, class 4. Energy bolt.
Description:
Essentially metal boxes sporting flat, multiple-jointed legs and arms, the Mechanorimon are a common Mechanoid Digimon. The particular Mechanorimon being examined here are being ordered about by the digital equivalent of a radio signal. Their orders are to keep the peace in Machinedramon's empire by force and sheer numbers.
Note: Mechanorimon seem to have two 'modes'. One, They operate as stand-alone Digimon, and two, they can be controlled by another Digimon, such as Bakemon.
They are useful because of their flight capabilities, providing additional mobility to ground-bound Digimon.
Since Dragudramon wouldn't give ground, the ground gave it for him. A large crescent section of the street collapsed, and he fell out of sight along with roughly two tons of an interesting substance somewhere in transition from pavement to debris.
Two Mechanorimon were dispatched to scout the hole; when they returned with nothing to report, the rest of the mechanical army began to disperse.
At Machinedramon HQ:
"Search turned up negative." One Gearmon reported, spinning its cogs.
"Assume target destroyed? The energy signal has vanished." Another stated, grinding teeth.
"Those dirty Mechanorimon!" Dragudramon fumed, burrowing his way through the sewers. "Shooting me in the back!" He paused in his efforts to rest and regain some energy before continuing.
Several blocks down, the ground began to quiver and groan.
"What the..."
The street and sewer floor ripped apart as a mechanical beast pushed past, shrugging off falling concrete as if it were feathers.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Machinedramon
Level: Mega
Type: Virus
Classification: Machine Digimon
Attacks:
Dragon Fire: Threat Level High, class 2. High-power jackhammer blows from hand. Capable of setting up oscillations throughout body with Threat level High, class 0.
Giga Cannon: Threat Level High, variable class. Cannons on back launch energy bolts. Can go from class 2 to class 7 with addition of fuel to blast chamber from red and blue hoses linked to supply box located between cannons.
Description:
As implied by the name, Machinedramon is a mechanical dragon. Thought to be composed of high-grade steel, significantly less sturdy than Chrome Digizoid. However: Mega-Level Structural reinforcement fields are in position around chassis; gaps are few, if any. Geared heavily towards offense and strength, defense suffers because of a lack of speed. Machinedramon is an old and experienced Digimon, and assumed to have full knowledge of the most efficient and effective fighting techniques for his power and reach.
Major weak point: Hosing.
Dragudramon's eyes alit with anticipation of glorious battle... then dimmed as Machinedramon moved out of sight. "COME BACK HERE!" He bellowed, ripping his way out of the underground. "Damn!" Dragudramon hissed as Machinedramon moved off through the city, bringing down so much infrastructure that his path became concealed in the trail of destruction. "That's the one I want! The one I must destroy!" Eyes shining like beacons, Dragudramon shouldered aside the street above, ignoring the power cables that snapped and ran enough electricity to power five skyscrapers into his body. Indeed, he absorbed it, crackling arcs of charge traveling between his metal-sheathed body and the ground. The Tankmon and Mechanorimon that fell into the widening hole were less lucky. High voltage coursing through the machines fused joints and fried the logic algorithms of the unfortunate as Dragudramon rose like a vision from Nikola Tesla's dreams, cold electric fire sprouting from every surface and rising above the ground, above the rooftops, into the air above the city.
"A trifle showy, aren't you?" another sibilant voice spoke from behind. "I'll bet you are the one that deleted Megadramon."
Without turning around, Dragudramon answered... "Yeah, what of it? He was stupid; attacking his superior." Now orienting his body on the voice, Dragudramon glared with eyes ringed by electricity. "So... Are you just as stupid, wyrm?"
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Gigadramon:
Level: Ultimate
Type: Virus
Classification: Cyborg Digimon
Attacks:
Genocide Gear: Threat Level High, class 0. Cutting energy gear shot from 'hands'.
Guilty Claw: Threat Level Medium, class 8. Physical smashing attack.
Description:
Related to Megadramon, Gigadramon is a cybernetic dragon Digimon with a short temper and augmented strength. However, the bio-mechanical power is less than half of Dragudramon's, and should be an easy kill. Gigadramon serves in Machinedramon's 'Metal Empire' and has the specific purpose of selective search and destruction with maximum efficiency and precision. Agility is medium to high, and slim profile makes Gigadramon a difficult target at mid to long range.
To most readily neutralize, recommend removing arms, wings are not known to serve any useful purpose.
Gigadramon circled, tail snapping in irritation. "SUPERIOR? STUPID? Bah! You're nothing more than a trumped up pest! You..."
"Tell it to Megadramon." Dragudramon interrupted. "You'll be with him soon enough. Now, if you want to die uselessly, come closer, or attack me from there. Do anything but talk, wyrm."
Gigadramon's pupils went to pinpoints as his anger rose...
"GENOCIDE GEAR!" a small whirling disk of black chi formed between the talons on Gigadramon's hands, swelling up into a great obsidian cog. "UURGH!" from suspension between his cybernetic claws, the gear flew forth, rending the air into screaming streamers.
Dragudramon snorted, and backhanded the disk when it came within reach, avoiding the sharp edge that sliced through an office complex, splitting it in half. As the bisected building fell, Gigadramon flew off into the clouds to wait for another chance.
"Not so fast, brother," Dragudramon growled, flying after the gray snake-dramon "We need to settle accounts..." Reaching out, Dragudramon snatched Gigadramon's tail from the air just as the cyborg Digimon entered a cloudbank.
"GUILTY CLAW!" Somewhere inside the cloud, Gigadramon's body snapped like a whip, bringing two metallic talons fiercely down onto Dragudramon's armored forearms. The attack wasn't damaging, but it was so sudden Dragudramon let go in sheer surprise.
"Nice move." He commented, winging his way around the clouds, searching for the prey that had just eluded him...
The cloud was inert and silent. Gigadramon hid inside, flying without moving, able to prevent himself from disturbing the cloud. 'Damn...' he thought, listening to Dragudramon's heavy wing beats. 'If only I'd been on patrol with Megadramon when he encountered this threat, we could have trashed him! If I make it out alive, I'm going to kill those stupid Gearmon for splitting us up!' moving slowly, Gigadramon pantomimed his 'Genocide Gear' attack, imagining the stupid rookie lackeys that ran operations for the Machine Empire deleting.
The air was quiet. The flapping of Dragudramon's wings had grown weaker and vanished as the sun dragon moved away, either bored or confused about Gigadramon's position. After several minutes, Gigadramon eased his head out and peered around. It appeared that the intruder had gone. He'd have to deal with that chrome-plated moron soon enough, but he needed to find an advantage against the strength and armor of Dragudramon.
Sliding out of the cloud like a snake, Gigadramon examined the city again. The remnants of the Tankmon and Mechanorimon platoons were still patrolling the streets, only about a quarter of the original number remaining. "I'm gonna catch hell for this, running away in a battle... But that dramon is just too damn powerful for me alone..." he mused, only vaguely noticing the whistling of the wind. The noise grew louder, like a bomb dropping, and a shadow fell across a nearby cloudbank.
Dragudramon, who had been aware of Gigadramon's position through the effects of the crest of Compassion, had been hiding his great silver and red body in the glare of the sun overhead, waiting, just as Gigadramon had, for an opportunity. Dragudramon struck Gigadramon's thin back, and grabbed Gigadramon as a bird of prey would a meal, securing each arm in a vice-like grip, and clamping both feet around the long gray tail. Finally, Dragudramon bit right at the base of Gigadramon's metal skull plate, and ground his teeth to exacerbate the wound.
"Don't destroy me!" Gigadramon screeched, writhing madly... "GUILTY CLAW!" his entire body thrummed with power, but Dragudramon held on, ratcheting his claws down on his prey's arms and tail. "I'll... I'll help you!" The pressure eased slightly. "You're here for those kids, right?" Again, the pain was reduced as Dragudramon listened, spreading his wings to have the pair hover above the city. "You're out to make a name for yourself?" Gigadramon hazarded, sweating oil that caught fire when it got near Dragudramon's mouth... The pressure didn't change, so Gigadramon continued, his battle-trained mind jumping to what he thought was the obvious conclusion... "I'll help you kill those kids! We'll be heroooo...!!" Dragudramon's eyes flashed, and his entire body burned with anger as he started to squeeze and pull at Gigadramon, crushing the metal body like the shell of a hard-boiled egg.
Underneath the city below them, Machinedramon was getting fed up with the futile attacks of the Digidestined Digimon and Andromon. "GIGA CANNON!" He rasped, firing energy bolts continuously from his cannons, demolishing the thousands of tons of concrete above within seconds.
Pulling back to weave about the blasts, Dragudramon felt the presence of the Digidestined in his 'soul'... He also felt the cold, metallic energy of Machinedramon pervading the area, instantly raising Dragudramon's desire to fight and protect to their highest levels. Without thinking about consequences, he turned in the air to power dive directly at Machinedramon's energy pattern, still holding Gigadramon as if crucified in his claws and teeth.
While there are many benefits to the sensory-enhancing capability of the Crest of Compassion, not all of them can function when the wearer is overly emotional... Long story short, Dragudramon and Gigadramon smashed into the remnants of an office building on the edge of the hole. As Gigadramon's head tore through the walls and cubicle partitions, the ground groaned before giving way with a rumbling growl of snapping concrete, glass, and power cables...The entire complex toppled into the hole, smashing Machinedramon with a pile of concrete and steel mixed with office furniture.
At the bottom of the hole...
Kari was glowing again, that odd pink light that carried great energy to revitalize friendly Digimon and repel evil.
"Agumon! It's time to Digivolve!" Tai shouted, taking out his Digivice.
"Let's go! Agumon WARP-Digivol..." the orange, show-stealing Digimon began to say when a stray office chair fell onto Tai's head, managing to knock the headstrong boy out cold.
Sora rushed to Tai's side, using her arm to shield her face from flying debris as Machinedramon shredded the collapsed building's superstructure with a single 'Dragon Fire'.
"Tai! Come on! We need Wargreymon's help!" She shouted above the din, patting his face gently.
"I'd say he's unconscious..." Izzy commented. "And we, in a manner of speaking, are in big trouble without Wargreymon and his Dramon Destroyers."
Kari shook her head. "No. We've got help on the way." She stated firmly, standing her ground against all the debris and flak...
"Who? We don't know where anyone is, and Metalgarurumon's the only other Mega level on our side." Izzy replied, helping Sora and Agumon pull Tai out of immediate danger.
"Benjamon's coming. I'd duck, everyone."
"What?"
The light at the bottom of the hole fell into darkness as Dragudramon passed overhead, flapping his great armored wings and accelerating towards Machinedramon in a bombing run. Gigadramon had long since passed out from pain, and hung limply in the silver talons and teeth of his captor... until Dragudramon let go, dropping Gigadramon on top of Machinedramon before spreading his wings and soaring sharply upwards into the sunlight before turning around to make another run.
Gigadramon's battered body deleted after colliding heavily with Machinedramon's head, turning to bits of black data that clouded the sky. Before the air had even cleared, Dragudramon landed between Machinedramon and the Digi-Destined, glowering fiercely at the mechanical monstrosity. "Sorry, but your army's in a shambles, your two most powerful servants are destroyed, and your scheduled opponent has been changed to me. What else can go wrong for the mighty Machinedramon today?" he hissed, picking up a chunk of concrete the size of a minivan and hurling it at Machinedramon's empty head.
"What are you doing back here?" Angemon asked, flying above Dragudramon's left shoulder.
The concrete splintered against Machinedramon's raised forearm with a resounding crack.
"I claimed Machinedramon back at the beginning, just before I vanished." Dragudramon rumbled, never taking his eyes off Machinedramon. "Get everyone out."
Angewomon now hovered over Dragudramon's right shoulder. "Why are you always fighting alone? We haven't been able stop Machinedramon together, and..."
The great metal wings flapped irritably. "Don't take this the wrong way gorgeous, but mind your own business. This time, I don't want to win. I want to go down fighting, so that I won't interfere anymore."
"Interfere with what?" Agumon asked, still trying to rouse Tai.
"Your destiny. I'm nothing but a fluke, and as long as I exist, I am a threat to your saving the world. NOW LET ME DO WHAT I HAVE TO!" Dragudramon snapped back, walking forward. "Machinedramon! I have destroyed Megadramon and Gigadramon...You are the only opposing Dramon left for me to fight in your pathetic empire."
"So?" Machinedramon rasped, brandishing his claws. "They are as nothing compared to me. You, too, are nothing; merely an ant to be crushed in a cog."
"So you say..." Dragudramon and Machinedramon now circled, moving away from the Digi-Destined. "Care to back it up, you aluminum-foil freak?"
"GIGA CANNON!" Machinedramon attacked, hunkering down to let Dragudramon have it with both barrels of his steel cannon.
Dragudramon's wings folded over his neck and head, the broad metal surfaces taking the full force of the energy blasts. Even with his talons locked into the ground, Dragudramon slid backwards under the assault, cutting deep furrows in the concrete. "Is that all you got?" he shouted, opening his wings. "I've eaten hot sauces with more kick than that!"
Machinedramon pumped extra blaster fuel into his cannons. "GIGA CANNON!" the tin terror shouted, unleashing a furious blast. When the glowing beams smashed into Dragudramon's wings their force of impact ripped Dragudramon from the ground and hurled him into a skyscraper foundation behind. A network of cracks grew around the dramon-shaped hole; creaks and groans filled the dusty air as the pillar began to buckle under the weight of the building above.
Machinedramon leapt driving Dragudramon's back deeper into the wall with a full-body ram. The feeling of something tearing into Dragudramon's scaly back joined the sharp pain of compression; Machinedramon's tackle had forced a broken steel bar up under the layered armor of scales and into the soft flesh underneath.
Roaring in anger and defiance, Dragudramon grabbed Machinedramon's arm as it swept in for an uppercut, the Chrome-Digizoid armor that protected his arms, legs, and underside clanking deafeningly on Machinedramon's metal hide.
After positioning his powerful legs against the support, Dragudramon pushed off from the concrete and steel piling and launched himself over Machinedramon's head.
"GIGA CANNON!" Machinedramon rasped, his bolts missing Dragudramon's arms and flat tail by a few inches. The beams of destructive energy raced on to blow away a large chunk of the same tormented and strained pillar that had held Dragudramon.
Up and over Machinedramon's cannons Dragudramon sailed, curling his sixty-foot body into a ball. His forearms maintained their grip on Machinedramon, pulling the Dark Master off the floor while Dragudramon fell to it. Even with Machinedramon's superior mass, Dragudramon's flip and drop lifted Machinedramon up and over in a tight arc. As Dragudramon's hind legs smashed into the floor, his silver talons released Machinedramon. The steel beast spun through the air and landed face down at the opposite end of the trench.
Hissing and snapping, Dragudramon charged across the stinking, slippery battlefield.
"DRAGON INFERNO!" He bellowed, breathing a plume of white-hot fire onto the prone figure. All around Machinedramon the sewers melted and ran like lava from a volcano, forming clouds of steam and smoke from which Machinedramon's shadow rose, seemingly unharmed.
To the side, the Digi-Destined watched. Tai was still unconscious, but had been moved under Birdramon's great orange wings so that they could be evacuated quickly if the need arose.
Tentomon lifted his claws from in front of his eyes to peek at the violent exchange of blows between Machinedramon and Dragudramon. The sparks each Dramon struck from his foe's armor were reflected in Tentomon's green eyes like meteors in a twilight sky. "This is madness!" he squealed, as Machinedramon slashed down on Dragudramon's back, tearing off a patch of scales. Green ichor oozed from the wound and the scales on Machinedramon's claws,
Dragudramon roared, using his 'Dragon Slicer' attack to strike Machinedramon's face with two slashes, talons raking across and into hard metal. Several triangular teeth fell from the steely mouth, and oil leaked from some of the gouges down the boxy muzzle. Claw marks on Machinedramon's neck resulted in slowed head motions to avoid overstressing the metal.
The fight lapsed into exchanges of blows to the head at several points, trading off strikes as metal hit metal with a steely ring. Long strips of flesh were scoured from Dragudramon's face and hung like festive ribbons from his skull.
The only unflinching observers were Digimon Champion level and above, and Kari (Tai didn't flinch only because he couldn't, of course). "I thought we were friends..." Sora murmured in between the clangs and screams. "But Dragudramon doesn't want us to help him. He won't even look at us!"
"Dragudramon must be looking at us, or we'd have been trampled by now." Izzy said, "I wish the others were here. Joe would know what to do about Tai, and Metalgarurumon would be a great advantage over Machinedramon."
"Correct. Dragudramon spends a quarter second every five seconds checking our position." Andromon intoned his blank analyzing stare not missing much of the action. "When he looks at us, he gets hit by Machinedramon."
Machinedramon's massive shoulder rammed Dragudramon's metal chest, knocking the ultimate-level dramon on his back with a crash. Then, with a simple stride, Machinedramon's clawed steel hind legs crunched into Dragudramon's spread wings, pinning them to the floor.
"DRAGON FIRE!" Machinedramon announced without ceremony, driving his right hand into Dragudramon's breastplate. Machinedramon mashed savagely and repeatedly with the three sharp digits claws splayed to hit the widest area possible, a jackhammer motion that beat Dragudramon into the floor, shattering ribs and the spinal column almost instantly, even as the Chrome-Digizoid armor of his crests try valiantly to absorb the shocks. A crushing blow causes a fissure to appear in the thick armor plating, which widens, fractures, and shatters under the next few blows. The symbol of the crest of Compassion breaks apart, falling off Dragudramon's body in rattling chunks, revealing yellow scales.
Rather than plunging through Dragudramon's soft underside, Machinedramon's claws seek the struggling left wing, pounding the armor to pieces and ripping through the membrane. Methodically, logically, the wing is pounded and torn to pieces, leaving only a bleeding stump on Dragudramon's back.
Screaming in pain, Dragudramon lashed his long, sharp tail, miraculously still able to move despite his broken back. With green ichor oozing from his mouth, Dragudramon roars, "DRAGON SLICER!" and lashed his silvery tail down on Machinedramon's unprotected back.
Powered by desperation, the sharp-edged metal tail slices through the red and blue tubes that provide fuel to Machinedramon's Giga Cannon with an audible snap.
Now Machinedramon leapt away roaring and snarling, leaving the right wing pristine but useless because of all the other injuries sustained. The Dark Master spewed blaster fuel from the severed blue and red hoses; the cut ends shimmied and writhed like snakes, covering Machinedramon with thick orange fluid.
Using most of his remaining strength to lift his tattered and battered head from the ground, Dragudramon took a deep breath...
"DRAGON INFERNO!"
"NO!" Machinedramon bellowed, knowing the wave of fire rushing to the fuel puddle at his feet could be the end of him.
The orange pool caught fire so fast that the air was above was shoved aside with a WOMPH. Out of the hellish blaze came Machinedramon, charging at the helpless Dragudramon in a blind rage. Fire covered every surface, and spurted from the ends of the severed fuel lines, igniting and sending a rain of fire into the air.
The Dark Master didn't make it in time.
The hoses burned through, and the flames ran into the supply box... then down, down, down into Machinedramon's internal fuel storage. A grating roar turned to an explosion as the confined fuel ignited and exploded, smashing through Machinedramon, blasting off his stubby tail. The force of the escaping blast lifted the hundred-ton terror into the air, smashing him into a hospital at the edge of the wide trench.
Dragudramon blinked, tired... The world was slipping, getting dim. At least this time his death had a point. This time, he'd die having done what he knew was right.
He became vaguely aware of touches on his still-armored forearms and neck. He couldn't see them, but he knew the Digi-Destined were there beside him. Foolish... Machinedramon wasn't dead...
He tried to open his mouth, to warn them... Nothing. His jaw was too heavy now.
Dragudramon.
"Uhn." He thought. "Come to see me off, have you?"
We don't know. You might not delete here.
"Well," Dragudramon knew he was speaking to the creators of the Digital World; he didn't know of any Digimon with telepathy aside from Psisauromon. "I sure think this feels like it. I don't suppose you could warn Sora, Izzy, and Kari that Machinedramon's still around?"
They know. Even though you prevented them from winning at first by incapacitating Tai and Wargreymon, you have now weakened Machinedramon to the point where they can defeat him.
"That's all I could hope for. I wanted to be the one to finish him, though."
That chance may still be available. Would you take it?
"Absolutely." Dragudramon thought without hesitation. "I never got to say good bye, and that's what I came here to do."
Then you will rise, Dragudramon.
"Bah. I'm enough of a program to know that I'm hurt real bad, even worse than with Puppetmon..."
Andromon's blank stare kept watch on the hospital where Machinedramon had crashed.
"Machinedramon is not moving." He reported woodenly.
"Dragudramon's not moving, either!" An understatement of the year to be sure, but TK said it anyway, rubbing tears from his eyes.
"I don't get it. After all that, surely one of them would be deleted." Izzy said, his rather cynical observation losing the power to be called disrespectful because of the sad look in his eyes as he brushed a fairly intact piece of Dragudramon's neck with his hand. "Nothing seems to work normally, the way it did when we first came to the Digital world. All of those battles where the Digimon we defeated was destroyed cleanly, not bleeding and causing surface damage."
"He is too human to pay attention to the normal rules." Kari said, leaning on Angewomon's leg. "Benjamon just isn't like other Digimon just because he looks human... He acts human. He thinks like a human and like a Digimon."
"Can't you fix him, Kari?" TK asked quietly.
"He doesn't want to be fixed..." Kari answered, her eyes a little unfocused from exhaustion and feeling that other personality, the other Kari Yagami, the person the Numemon had called 'Queen Kari', taking hold again with all her power.
With a push from Angewomon's gentle hand, Kari was back on her feet, strong, an unmovable force in the Digital world. As her aura began to glow a visible pink, she said...
"But something else does."
Do you feel it?
"Ah, welcome back! I was getting lonely. Say, Why aren't I dead yet?" Dragudramon thought jovially. He'd been lying on his deathbed of concrete, dirt, and bedrock for several minutes, and knew that something was not right with this picture.
We are having Kari repair the damage done to you.
"That's nice. But Kari? How can she fix me? She's not my programmer, is she?"
Your programmer is known as 'Drowzee1'. We meant to inform you earlier.
"Oh, thanks." Dragudramon grumbled. "Sorta pointless now, I think. But how can Kari fix me?"
Kari is the forerunner in the next stage of human evolution. She is joined intimately with the Digital world and information. Kari can exert control over the Digital world with her light, healing the injured Digimon.
"Oh. Does Tai have the same potential?"
To a lesser extent. He will be pivotal to defeating a threat we perceive in the future. Do you feel Kari's light healing you now?
"There is a certain warmth from my right side, I think..."
Good. Now go, and claim Machinedramon's life...
Dragudramon's eyes opened, blinking gold and silver. The pain in his back had vanished, and he didn't feet the wetness of his blood or the itchiness that would have been present had it dried.
"Urugh...." He rumbled, clearing his throat before spitting a sedan-sized glob of sticky green blood and mucus off to the left, where it stuck harmlessly to the wall.
"Disgusting." Someone said.
"Don't have to tell me twice. You weren't the one who had to taste it." Dragudramon rumbled back.
"And that's even worse to hear!" Tentomon said, hovering in front of Dragudramon's face. "But are you all right?"
"I'm not dead, Getting better..." Dragudramon knew no one here would understand that joke, but made it anyway.
"That's good to hear! We were worried about you!" Sora said. "But why did you do all that alone?"
"Frankly, I was hoping I'd be destroyed, but I wanted the chance to say good bye first. Something in me just made me want to stay with the fight, keep attacking even when there was no hope of winning..." he chuckled, even as he conversationally mentioned his sacrifice and got a gasp from most of the Digi-Destined. "If I didn't make it clear before, I'm a wild card. There's no telling if my presence will be a help or hindrance to you all. Like poor unconscious Tai. If I'd not been around, he and Wargreymon would have quickly defeated Machinedramon. But instead, I ended up fighting. What if Tai had been killed? What if that falling building had crushed every one of you?"
He got several blank stares. Andromon, of course, always had a blank stare, but...
"My point is that I'm not safe to have around. I left Joe and Mimi because I found out that your destiny is like a powerful train, and I'm a loose piece of track that could get you where you need to go, but also derail the entire train in a horrible wreck. I can't take that chance. That's why I wanted to be stopped by Machinedramon."
"Now I see why Matt doesn't like you..." Sora murmured. "You take everything upon yourself, try to make the best decision, even if it means sacrificing your life..."
Dragudramon sat up, flapping his wings, the left of which was still unarmored. "So?" there was an edge to his voice.
"Matt told me you said 'you did not want to die' after Puppetmon just about destroyed you... But now, you're all too willing to get killed. You planned ahead for us, with food and bandages, but those are all gone, and now that you don't know what will happen, you're leaving us."
Dragudramon tried not to listen, instead picking up the pieces of wing armor that had been broken off and placing it back on the naked bone and membrane structure. The chrome-digizoid turned to liquid and flowed around his wing, and was soon completely re-covered. In the reflection of his wing, he saw Kari glowing for a split second, then dropping to her knees.
With a gasp, he flung himself towards her, and kept Kari's head from hitting the floor with a gentle hand.
"See what I mean? You're playing too many roles at once. You can't help hiding who you are, but we see it."
"See what?" Dragudramon said absently, his eyes soft as he helped Gatomon hold the little Digi-Destined.
"You're scared. You're always scared. You're almost always lying to us because you don't truly know what to do... And you have to follow your heart, which you don't trust anywhere as much as your head."
"Quiet!" Dragudramon snarled, upset that he'd been so obvious about it. He'd be damned if he'd admit it, though. "Andromon! Where's Machinedramon?"
"Machinedramon is in the remains of the hospital above. He has not moved." Came the ready reply.
"Thanks. I'm going to finish this fight! Everyone, get away from this side of the trench!" Dragudramon spread his wings and launched into the air, in such a rush to leave that he forgot his broken chest plate, lying like a shattered silver eggshell, on the floor of the ditch.
With only a few powerful sweeps of his large wings, Dragudramon flew up in front of the hospital, and peered inside.
Machinedramon struck, leaping out of the wreckage and throwing his huge arms around Dragudramon, forming a squeezing, crushing, compacting bear hug as both Dramon plummeted to the floor.
What made matters worse was that Machinedramon had had a large hole blown in his chest, and the edges were jagged and sharp. So when Machinedramon locked his arms together and pulled, Dragudramon's chest was pierced, letting blood flow freely as both heard the ribs cracking.
Down and down they fell, smashing into the distressed floor at the bottom of the hole. Fortunately, the Digi-Destined had gotten away, and now stood by an entrance to some undamaged sewers.
Machinedramon tightened his steely grip, gears grinding, pistons screaming. From the hole in his chest, another threat came... Machinedramon's dark energies, the forces that moved him, were leaking into Dragudramon, frying every piece they touched.
For the second time today, Dragudramon was dying. His blows lacked the leverage and reach they'd had before, only managing to bat at the Dark Master's head.
"Won't he ever stay out of trouble?" Kari asked, regaining her strength and glowing again.
"Kari, be careful!" Gatomon said, "Don't exhaust yourself."
But Kari Yagami stood strong again, her light pure and reviving. "Digivolve. He may need our help this time."
"Gatomon Digivolve to... ANGEWOMON!"
The beautiful angel stood silently by her partner's side while the smallest of their group waged an unseen war against the darkness.
Trapped between the dark energies of Machinedramon's inner workings and Kari's healing light, Dragudramon was hurt and healed repeatedly, the two forces canceling each other out. There was constant pain through every digital nerve as his code flipped from damaged to restored.
Then, something snapped and Dragudramon went still, absolutely rigid in his captor's embrace.
"Gray..." Dragudramon whispered... "Neutral. Fluid. Balance."
"What?" Machinedramon rasped, then laughed harshly. "This poor Dramon has been driven insane!" he howled, trying to tighten his crushing grip further.
The Dark Master failed. The servos in his arms whined in protest against further compacting.
"No..." Dragudramon said softly. "No."
With great deliberation, the ultimate pushed apart the locked metal arms that had formerly been inescapable. Dragudramon stepped back, calm and collected, ignoring his bleeding chest. He looked at the ground as if puzzling something over.
"What's he talking about?" asked Birdramon, to which Agumon shrugged.
"Unknown." Andromon stated. "But his strength is now greater than that of Machinedramon."
Dragudramon sat between the Digi-Destined and Machinedramon, his talons raking the ground in random patterns.
"Why'd he stop fighting?" TK whispered, looking up to a similarly confused Angemon.
Kari's light faded, and as she slowly collapsed from exhaustion, Angewomon caught her, holding the light of the Digital world in her arms.
"I lost him..." Kari murmured. "To something bigger... he's trying to deal with something that combines the power of good and evil, light and dark."
"Gennai once talked to us about a disrupted balance here in the Digital world." Izzy said, staring as Dragudramon simply knocked all of Machinedramon's attacks away with one forearm. "Could Benjamon have found it, within himself?"
"What are you saying, Izzy?" Tentomon asked, unable to take his eyes off the two Dramon.
"I really don't know."
Dragudramon nodded, standing up to face the frustrated and damaged Machinedramon again. "This has gone far enough." He murmured, spreading his wings. "Your disturbance of the balance ends here."
"You cannot defeat the perfect machine!" Machinedramon growled, black energy still coursing from the hole in his chest.
"Tell it to John Henry." Dragudramon shot back, stretching his wings to the fullest; somehow, the air around them was shimmering with tiny sparkles of light that settled on the silvery armor.
"This feels wrong..." Sora whispered, as she watched the glittering specks emerge from the walls, the sky, the floor, herself... from everything.
Over the shimmering surfaces of Dragudramon's wings, white arcs of electricity snapped and crackled, sometimes bridging the gap between the wings, sometimes grounding on the floor. The air was filled with energy, making everyone's hair move erratically as it filled with charge.
Izzy looked at his laptop bag in horror. "Oh no... what if this screws up the drive?" he said, loud enough for Sora to hear.
Sora glared at Izzy, her brown eyes fierce, then surprised, as her hat lifted from her head.
Machinedramon stood frozen, unable to approach Dragudramon because of the energy fields that were emanating from those wings.
"DRAGON FLAAAARRRE!" Dragudramon bellowed, and the arcs between his wings concentrated, becoming constant lines that flowed from wing to wing, crossing other beams until all of them shared a common intersection where the energy formed a large sphere. The ball shrank down, becoming brighter as it compacted, then erupted, filling the curve of Dragudramon's silver wings with furious plasma bursts that formed a solid wave of destructive force.
Pulsing in colors across the spectrum, the wall of energy enveloped Machinedramon and tore the Dark Master apart. Piece by piece, the Digi-Destined saw Machinedramon's shadow break apart before disintegrating.
The flare of light and heat directed solely at Machinedramon vanished. Dragudramon collapsed to the floor, chest heaving as he struggled for breath.
The Crest of Compassion melted, forming rivers of metal that reformed the armor that protected Dragudramon's belly.
"You did it!" TK cheered.
Dragudramon nodded happily, still panting. "Surprise to m... to me..." he said, stumbling over the simple words as the reactivated crest of compassion informed him that all was not right. "Something's happening, and I don't like it..." he growled, staring at the place where Machinedramon had stood.
"The Digital world should be recompiling the city so that it'll come back normally." Izzy explained.
"Correct. We should go, or be caught in the preparatory destruction." Andromon agreed.
Dragudramon continued to stare. "That'd be uniform... this is just a... a..."
Agumon looked at the space where Dragudramon's gaze was directed. "A what? I don't see anything..." he sniffed. "Or smell anything..." he listened in the awkward silence... "Or hear anything."
With a gusty sigh, Dragudramon turned. "Maybe it's just my imagination. Well. Looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer."
Sora smiled. "That's better. Come on, we've got to get Tai up and out of here before the reconfiguration occurs."
They pulled Tai onto Birdramon's foot, where Izzy and Sora held him and Agumon held onto the other large foot. Angemon took TK, Angewomon was already hovering with Kari, and Andromon was halfway up the side of the ditch, climbing up a vertical wall by punching out handholds.
"Sora," Dragudramon rumbled quietly. "Since I now owe you all my life, again... You are right. I'm scared. I just thought you'd like to know before all this is over."
"That's all right," she said. "You're forgiven."
A rock flew by sideways.
"What was that?" Angemon asked, his long flaxen hair pulling towards the site of Machinedramon's destruction.
More rocks flew, larger and faster. Dragudramon snaked his head around, and saw...
A rip. A hole in reality, pulling everything in.
"Oh, Shards and shells." He muttered.
Izzy stared, transfixed by the sight. "An anomaly..." he said.
"Let's go!" Angemon shouted, and four of the five flight worthy Digimon rose from the bottom of the trench. Dragudramon remained behind, buildings starting to fall from the edges of the trench, falling and vanishing into the swirling gray hole.
"What are you doing now?!" Angewomon shouted at him.
"I don't know. Facing my fear of the unknown..." Dragudramon bellowed back, above the rushing air.
"This is no time for Heroics!" Izzy yelled down.
"Then I'm too tired to fly!" Dragudramon answered, digging his talons into the ground. His tail lifted, pointing back to the hole in space. "Especially against this!"
Birdramon started to turn. "Then turn back to Benjamon, and we'll carry you out!" Sora shouted, even though she knew what his answer would be.
"NO! If you come back for me, you won't be able to get away! I'll try to stop this thing somehow, it's my fault, anyway!"
By now, Tentomon had abandoned trying to fly and was clutching to Angemon's foot. "You're mad!"
"I know, I know." Dragudramon hunkered down, a block of concrete the size of a school bus ripping from the floor and clobbering his back. "I suppose this is as good a time as any, to say goodbye!"
"NO!" Sora screamed, so loud that Tai awoke, blinking.
"Tell Matt I'm sorry I couldn't talk to him in person. And For gods sake, don't worry about me! Just remember me from time to time, like Wizardmon and Whamon!"
The pull increased, and Birdramon shuddered, working harder to fly... "Sora, we must go!"
And so the Digi-Destined flew away, safe. Andromon had long since escaped the pull. Dragudramon had watched them all go, knowing he'd probably never see them again.
Once the Digi-Destined had left, Dragudramon clutched tightly to the floor. Without anything else to do, he blinked tears of pain and loss from his silver and gold eyes, and sang.
Echoing through the city, his baritone rose over the creaking and crashing of buildings being pulled in by the rip in space.
"Take my hand... I'm a stranger in paradise, all lost in a wonderland... A stranger in paradise! If I stand starry-eyed, that's a danger in paradise, for mortals who stand beside an angel like youuuaaaarrraaahhh!"
The song ended as Dragudramon's strength left him at last, and he slid into the unknown of his own creation. As if sated, the rift vanished, leaving behind nothing. Absolutely nothing. That which created it, was destroyed by it. Balanced.
Back in the real world, one person knew what had happened. He was crying.
"LYLA!" Drowzee1 bawled, typing frantically at the keyboard of a supercomputer.
The efficient virtual secretary and computer interface appeared next to Drowzee1's deep cushioned chair. She was plain in appearance and formal in dress, wearing the same business suit as she always did. There wasn't anything else in her programmed wardrobe.
"Sir?" she answered, over his sobs.
"BENJAMON'S GONE!" Drowzee1 wailed, burying his face in his hands. He wasn't taking this well.
"I know, sir. But his delete signal was not detected, sir."
Drowzee1 took off his glasses, letting them drop to the floor. "Buh... But... but he's GONE!"
Lyla waved her hand in front of a monitor that charted Benjamon's vital signs. The view magnified. "Perhaps not, sir."
Drowzee1's tear-stung eyes stared at minor fluctuations in the readings.
"They are faint, Ben," she said, calling Drowzee1 by his real name. "But they are there. Benjamon is still functioning, somewhere."
Somewhere amidst the matrices of data composing the Digital world, the creators were surprised.
Well. We hadn't expected that.
-THE END-
Author's Note:
That's it, people! My run of show-paralleling fics is complete! I've already got a good head start on my next fic, which involves Benjamon in an entirely new world, with a unique history and factions that vie for supremacy. You won't want to miss it! Especially since I'm going to work on making my writing snappier, with less commas and ellipsis. Also, I think it might qualify as 'R'-rated material for explicit content without passing into NC-17 territory. Ooo la la, or something to that effect.
I'd like to thank Ultram, golmon, and Natrone at Megchan's Digimon Sekai Message boards for providing information on the Digimon of the Metal/machine Empire.
Oh, and if you think my method of getting Wargreymon out of the picture was too contrived, I feel the same way... Honestly, knocking Tai out with an office chair...
Sorry of you thought the battle was 'Dragon on'. Heehee! Ha ha ha! 'Dragon on'! Heehee heee! (Giant clown hammer BONK) OW!
Incidentally, I used some of my theories in here, especially about the Yagami family.
I know the following typically goes at the beginning of fanfiction, but I am too lazy to edit all my chapters. So:
I do not hold the rights to Digimon (tm) or any characters of the Digimon (tm) Franchise. I wish I did.
The all fanmade Digimon (tm) are the intellectual property of their creators and have been credited in the endnotes of the appropriate chapters.
Benjamon and his Digivolutions are mine, MINE! No touchy without permission!
I, Drowzee1, hereby give permission for this story, whole or in part, to be MSTed.
(Sounds like Excel Saga, don't it?)
I'm sure it can be done, especially for riffs on comma overuse and sentence length.
Do your WORST, so I can do my best.
So, in closing:
Thank you to those who read this all the way through, Thank you to those who review,
Thank you to those with suggestions, Thank you to those who know a good rhyme for 'suggestions'.
And to those of you who didn't read this, I'm ashamed of you! How would YOU like to have something you poured months of work and agony into to be ignored?
Yeah, you're sorry now, but where were you when I was writing this? If you truly... (sniffle) CARED about me...
Oh... That's right. You won't read this, either, will you?! You're walking on thin ice buddy. I'll IGNORE YOU LIKE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IGNORED BEFORE!
Starting... Now!
Scene: After Leomon's death, Benjamon was forced to realize that the Prophecy of the Digi-Destined is more powerful and potentially dangerous than he previously thought. Knowing now that his presence now endangers the Digi-Destined in their quest to defeat the Dark Masters, Benjamon leaves Joe and Mimi in order to find the others and say goodbye...
High above the desert sands, Psisauromon glided on a platform of psionic energy, searching out the Digi-Destined's thoughts. Mind waves leave a slight ripple in data fields, much like masses can be found by looking for gravitational depressions in the fabric of space-time. There wasn't much but a faint pull to the north, where the most minds were located. Matt had gone off on his own, and at this distance he wasn't an efficient choice to pursue.
Miles slid by, telephone poles and roads but mostly sand. Slight course corrections based on where Psisauromon felt the children's minds were no major task, so he had plenty of time to figure out what he was going to say.
'I can't stay with you, even though I want to. I have to leave for good to protect your safety by preserving the prophecy... doesn't feel right'
'Ask not what your countr... no.'
'When, in the course of human events... no.'
'I cannot stay, I must be going... er, no.'
'And a time for every purpose under the heavens... Maybe.'
'Ah, I'll figure it out when I get there.'
Over the horizon, the yellow sands were replaced by a growing gray mass, a city skyline set in the middle of the wasteland. 'Surely they weren't silly enough to go in there...' he thought. A building collapsed, vanishing from the mixed skyline before he heard a loud blast and rumble. 'On the other claw, they'll go wherever they have to... this accursed Destiny that's forcing my departure from the Digi-Destined is dragging them into traps!' Psisauromon crouched on the Psi Shield and accelerated, turning the remaining miles into a blur as he left a jet trail of fire in his wake.
'What is this place? The Space Needle, The Golden Gate Bridge, Tokyo Tower, The Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, Empire State Building and World Trade Center, Sydney Opera House, and the Acropolis? Is this the city from "Babe 2"? Man, what a weird amalgamation of countries and architectural styles!' Psisauromon looked out over the great city and saw devastated city blocks with strange mechanical Digimon patrolling the streets. Also, there were three mental signatures of Digimon that sent a thrilled shudder along his broad spine...Dramon! 'Well, now. An amusing diversion...' Something in Psisauromon's blood spoke, overriding his previous logic by flooding him with the thrill of battle against his own kind. 'Let's take it up a notch, then.'
((Psisauromon Digivolve to... DRAGUDRAMON!"
"HYPER CANNON!" A shell raced past Dragudramon's head. Looking down, Dragudramon spotted the insolent Digimon that had shot at him. A Tankmon, with a large millimeter cannon for a nose, tank treads, and missile delivery systems on each hand. "HYPER CANNON!" Shouted another, launching their explosive shell. Dragudramon swept to the side, talons ripping through the penthouse of a hotel as the shell flew off and vanished in the sky. A whole platoon of Tankmon rolled out from the side streets, heads all pointed at him.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Tankmon
Level: Champion
Type: Data
Classification: Android Digimon
"Stupid fools. DRAGON INFERNO!" Dragudramon flew the length of the avenue, exhaling flame that incinerated the entire battalion, turned the asphalt into a molten pit of hell, and generally wreaked fiery havoc wherever his breath touched. "That'll do nicely...Now, where are those kids?"
Something circled behind him. "And who are you?" it hissed. "Speak fast or die."
"Dragudramon. What's your beef?" Dragudramon backpedaled his armored wings and landed in an intersection, turning slowly to face the voice head-on. Hovering above the street and training a missile tube on the red dragon, a Megadramon looked like he meant business.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Megadramon
Level: Ultimate
Type: Virus
Classification: Dark Dragon Digimon
Attacks:
Genocide Attack: Threat level Medium, class 6. High-yield missiles shot from 'hands'
Ultimate Slicer: Threat level Medium, class 4. Energy blades fired from closed 'hands'
Description:
In thrall to Machinedramon, used to create large-scale destruction. Except for metal 'helmet', only real armor exists in biomechanical arms, where both attacks are initiated. Suggest amputation of Megadramon's limbs to prevent serious retaliation. Snakelike body and leathery wings are excellent for turns and evasive maneuvers, advantageous in urban dogfighting.
"What are you doing here, Dragudramonwhatsyourbeef? Answer quickly." Megadramon commanded, clicking his steely flanges open and shut menacingly.
"Listening to a very poor joke." Dragudramon snorted, folding his armored arms across his chest and looking away in contempt.
"You are not permitted to occupy any area of this city. The penalty for trespassing is death!"
"There's a surprise. I'll bet the penalty for loitering is death, as well as the penalty for jaywalking, littering, and parking infractions."
"So you die!" six claws snapped open, revealing the bores of missile tubes.
"Alas, what shall become of me? Why must brother Dramon fight?" Dragudramon sighed dramatically, drawing the back of one taloned hand across the ridge of his nose.
"GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Missiles with faces rushed out, leaving a trail of smoke.
Dragudramon dropped to the street as the missiles whistled just over the bony frill wrapped about the back of his head. "You pathetic, worthless---!" he bellowed as the explosives blew out the foundations of twenty-story office buildings to his left and right, bringing the structures down onto his head!
"GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Megadramon shot off another pair of missiles into the pile of debris, making sure he not only destroyed Dragudramon, but also buried the trespasser where he stood.
The pile of steel, concrete and glass was still, but smoking.
"Ahh... Nothing like a job well done." The remaining dragon turned to go...
"...EXCUSE FOR A DRAMON!" Dragudramon finished, surging up in a shower of shimmering glass and steel. Clouds of concrete dust flowed off his silver wings and red scales. He shaking his head vigorously, he glared at Megadramon. "That will be known as mistake number one." Dragudramon growled, plucking a network of girders from the debris around him and ripping it into the longest straight piece possible. "We're going to play a game. You run---and I'll kill you as nastily as I can."
"You don't stand a chance against me! ULTIMATE SLICER!" claws clanked shut, the points glowing a brilliant, deep blue. From each hand, a crescent energy blade flashed forth, spinning like propellers and weaving through the air, tearing chunks out of the buildings unfortunate enough to be in the way.
"You're only making it more painful for yourself!" Dragudramon grinned sadistically, teeth scattering the light in all directions, waiting as the whirling indigo blades came ever closer. "The more you try to win, the longer I'm going to let you suffer. HRUGH!" Dragudramon hunkered on his massive legs, then launched into the air, flipping head over tail, the blades passing harmlessly under him. The flat of his tail whirled around and slammed into Megadramon's armored head, knocking the dark dramon into the pavement. "Now, my brother, I'm going to give you the latest rage in fashion... A head ring." Bending the girder into a large circle, Dragudramon set the ends onto Megadramon's metal helmet and exhaled fire onto the connecting surfaces until the steel melted together. Megadramon thrashed about the street, screaming in agony. "See how easy it is for me to cause pain in the dark and twisted?" Spreading his silver wings, Dragudramon fanned the red-hot metal cool, giving Megadramon a permanent handle. "Okay, buckethead." Dragudramon growled, picking up his enemy by the bent girder.
"LET ME GO, FIEND!" Megadramon screeched as Dragudramon's right hand wrapped around the serpentine neck and clenched the ring in his left.
"Fat chance!" the sun dragon Digimon replied, simultaneously pulling and twisting the dark dragon's body from its head.
"AHHHH! GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Megadramon opened fire at point-blank range, firing missile after missile into Dragudramon's armored belly. Both dramon vanished in the expanding blast field, the city blocks around them disintegrating into so many clouds of dust and shrapnel. The explosions stopped suddenly, the entire city ringing with echoes of detonating warheads. At the epicenter, there was a crunch of separating vertebrae and a dull clank as Megadramon's severed head rolled out, jaw opening and shutting in shock before disintegrating into its component data.
"Light serves to defeat the dark, some say." Dragudramon rumbled from within the settling dust. "But they are wrong... So was I. And so was Megadramon." He would have continued to wax poetic on the subject, but he looked down to check for damage, and... "That sonofa... He scratched my armor! Mon, It'll take AGES to buff it back to shining! Rest in pieces, Megadramon!" Dragudramon launched into the air and soared away, grumbling about fine-grit sandpaper and Brillo pads.
The activities had not gone unnoticed; city blocks don't just explode without apparent reason. The army of machines converged on the crater, and found nothing but detritus and debris, molten glass and concrete, steel and smoldering wood. At the underground control center, the Gearmon were confused... "Megadramon has vanished from detection field!" one whined, scanning the city again.
"There was an energy surge before final tracking signal was received; perhaps we should consider the Megadramon unit destroyed." the second said, teeth grinding.
"An acceptable assumption, Gearmon. We have also lost a full battalion of Tankmon."
"Search units report no further activity in the area. Give the order to widen search to the air?"
"Affirmative! Machinedramon has followed the Digi-destined underground; we should eliminate all possible sources of outside interference."
The box-like Mechanorimon took off from the crater, thrusters firing from their feet. Already instituting an expanding spiral search pattern was a coal gray Gigadramon who now had a personal reason to destroy the interloper.
"That's the biggest molehill I've ever seen!" Dragudramon exclaimed as he circled above a hole the size of an office block. 'The Digi-Destined don't seem to be above ground... I would've been able to find them, I'm sure.' He thought, finding no need to speak to the cavernous network of tunnels and lines below. 'They must be down there. It's the only location I can't fly over.'
With a great back sweep of wings, Dragudramon slowed his flight and drifted down to the darkness. Just as his claws caught on the rim of the crater...
"INTRUDER LOCATED." A bolt of red light smashed into the toughened scales, driving Dragudramon down the hole. Scrabbling to regain his footing was awarded with a volley of five identical blows "You bastards!" the dramon grunted, tearing chunks of concrete and asphalt from the edge as each 'Twin Beam' blew him deeper into the ground. "You're starting to piss me off!" "I'm warning you!" "Oh, you're dead now!" Unable to spread his wings within the confines of the hole, Dragudramon steadily lost ground, slipping into the darkness of the underground. Logically, He should have just gone down, but a call to battle surged in his algorithms, flooded his subroutines.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Mechanorimon:
Level: Champion
Type: Virus
Classification: Machine Digimon
Attack:
Twin beam: Threat level Low, class 4. Energy bolt.
Description:
Essentially metal boxes sporting flat, multiple-jointed legs and arms, the Mechanorimon are a common Mechanoid Digimon. The particular Mechanorimon being examined here are being ordered about by the digital equivalent of a radio signal. Their orders are to keep the peace in Machinedramon's empire by force and sheer numbers.
Note: Mechanorimon seem to have two 'modes'. One, They operate as stand-alone Digimon, and two, they can be controlled by another Digimon, such as Bakemon.
They are useful because of their flight capabilities, providing additional mobility to ground-bound Digimon.
Since Dragudramon wouldn't give ground, the ground gave it for him. A large crescent section of the street collapsed, and he fell out of sight along with roughly two tons of an interesting substance somewhere in transition from pavement to debris.
Two Mechanorimon were dispatched to scout the hole; when they returned with nothing to report, the rest of the mechanical army began to disperse.
At Machinedramon HQ:
"Search turned up negative." One Gearmon reported, spinning its cogs.
"Assume target destroyed? The energy signal has vanished." Another stated, grinding teeth.
"Those dirty Mechanorimon!" Dragudramon fumed, burrowing his way through the sewers. "Shooting me in the back!" He paused in his efforts to rest and regain some energy before continuing.
Several blocks down, the ground began to quiver and groan.
"What the..."
The street and sewer floor ripped apart as a mechanical beast pushed past, shrugging off falling concrete as if it were feathers.
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Machinedramon
Level: Mega
Type: Virus
Classification: Machine Digimon
Attacks:
Dragon Fire: Threat Level High, class 2. High-power jackhammer blows from hand. Capable of setting up oscillations throughout body with Threat level High, class 0.
Giga Cannon: Threat Level High, variable class. Cannons on back launch energy bolts. Can go from class 2 to class 7 with addition of fuel to blast chamber from red and blue hoses linked to supply box located between cannons.
Description:
As implied by the name, Machinedramon is a mechanical dragon. Thought to be composed of high-grade steel, significantly less sturdy than Chrome Digizoid. However: Mega-Level Structural reinforcement fields are in position around chassis; gaps are few, if any. Geared heavily towards offense and strength, defense suffers because of a lack of speed. Machinedramon is an old and experienced Digimon, and assumed to have full knowledge of the most efficient and effective fighting techniques for his power and reach.
Major weak point: Hosing.
Dragudramon's eyes alit with anticipation of glorious battle... then dimmed as Machinedramon moved out of sight. "COME BACK HERE!" He bellowed, ripping his way out of the underground. "Damn!" Dragudramon hissed as Machinedramon moved off through the city, bringing down so much infrastructure that his path became concealed in the trail of destruction. "That's the one I want! The one I must destroy!" Eyes shining like beacons, Dragudramon shouldered aside the street above, ignoring the power cables that snapped and ran enough electricity to power five skyscrapers into his body. Indeed, he absorbed it, crackling arcs of charge traveling between his metal-sheathed body and the ground. The Tankmon and Mechanorimon that fell into the widening hole were less lucky. High voltage coursing through the machines fused joints and fried the logic algorithms of the unfortunate as Dragudramon rose like a vision from Nikola Tesla's dreams, cold electric fire sprouting from every surface and rising above the ground, above the rooftops, into the air above the city.
"A trifle showy, aren't you?" another sibilant voice spoke from behind. "I'll bet you are the one that deleted Megadramon."
Without turning around, Dragudramon answered... "Yeah, what of it? He was stupid; attacking his superior." Now orienting his body on the voice, Dragudramon glared with eyes ringed by electricity. "So... Are you just as stupid, wyrm?"
Digimon Analyzer Version 3.0
Gigadramon:
Level: Ultimate
Type: Virus
Classification: Cyborg Digimon
Attacks:
Genocide Gear: Threat Level High, class 0. Cutting energy gear shot from 'hands'.
Guilty Claw: Threat Level Medium, class 8. Physical smashing attack.
Description:
Related to Megadramon, Gigadramon is a cybernetic dragon Digimon with a short temper and augmented strength. However, the bio-mechanical power is less than half of Dragudramon's, and should be an easy kill. Gigadramon serves in Machinedramon's 'Metal Empire' and has the specific purpose of selective search and destruction with maximum efficiency and precision. Agility is medium to high, and slim profile makes Gigadramon a difficult target at mid to long range.
To most readily neutralize, recommend removing arms, wings are not known to serve any useful purpose.
Gigadramon circled, tail snapping in irritation. "SUPERIOR? STUPID? Bah! You're nothing more than a trumped up pest! You..."
"Tell it to Megadramon." Dragudramon interrupted. "You'll be with him soon enough. Now, if you want to die uselessly, come closer, or attack me from there. Do anything but talk, wyrm."
Gigadramon's pupils went to pinpoints as his anger rose...
"GENOCIDE GEAR!" a small whirling disk of black chi formed between the talons on Gigadramon's hands, swelling up into a great obsidian cog. "UURGH!" from suspension between his cybernetic claws, the gear flew forth, rending the air into screaming streamers.
Dragudramon snorted, and backhanded the disk when it came within reach, avoiding the sharp edge that sliced through an office complex, splitting it in half. As the bisected building fell, Gigadramon flew off into the clouds to wait for another chance.
"Not so fast, brother," Dragudramon growled, flying after the gray snake-dramon "We need to settle accounts..." Reaching out, Dragudramon snatched Gigadramon's tail from the air just as the cyborg Digimon entered a cloudbank.
"GUILTY CLAW!" Somewhere inside the cloud, Gigadramon's body snapped like a whip, bringing two metallic talons fiercely down onto Dragudramon's armored forearms. The attack wasn't damaging, but it was so sudden Dragudramon let go in sheer surprise.
"Nice move." He commented, winging his way around the clouds, searching for the prey that had just eluded him...
The cloud was inert and silent. Gigadramon hid inside, flying without moving, able to prevent himself from disturbing the cloud. 'Damn...' he thought, listening to Dragudramon's heavy wing beats. 'If only I'd been on patrol with Megadramon when he encountered this threat, we could have trashed him! If I make it out alive, I'm going to kill those stupid Gearmon for splitting us up!' moving slowly, Gigadramon pantomimed his 'Genocide Gear' attack, imagining the stupid rookie lackeys that ran operations for the Machine Empire deleting.
The air was quiet. The flapping of Dragudramon's wings had grown weaker and vanished as the sun dragon moved away, either bored or confused about Gigadramon's position. After several minutes, Gigadramon eased his head out and peered around. It appeared that the intruder had gone. He'd have to deal with that chrome-plated moron soon enough, but he needed to find an advantage against the strength and armor of Dragudramon.
Sliding out of the cloud like a snake, Gigadramon examined the city again. The remnants of the Tankmon and Mechanorimon platoons were still patrolling the streets, only about a quarter of the original number remaining. "I'm gonna catch hell for this, running away in a battle... But that dramon is just too damn powerful for me alone..." he mused, only vaguely noticing the whistling of the wind. The noise grew louder, like a bomb dropping, and a shadow fell across a nearby cloudbank.
Dragudramon, who had been aware of Gigadramon's position through the effects of the crest of Compassion, had been hiding his great silver and red body in the glare of the sun overhead, waiting, just as Gigadramon had, for an opportunity. Dragudramon struck Gigadramon's thin back, and grabbed Gigadramon as a bird of prey would a meal, securing each arm in a vice-like grip, and clamping both feet around the long gray tail. Finally, Dragudramon bit right at the base of Gigadramon's metal skull plate, and ground his teeth to exacerbate the wound.
"Don't destroy me!" Gigadramon screeched, writhing madly... "GUILTY CLAW!" his entire body thrummed with power, but Dragudramon held on, ratcheting his claws down on his prey's arms and tail. "I'll... I'll help you!" The pressure eased slightly. "You're here for those kids, right?" Again, the pain was reduced as Dragudramon listened, spreading his wings to have the pair hover above the city. "You're out to make a name for yourself?" Gigadramon hazarded, sweating oil that caught fire when it got near Dragudramon's mouth... The pressure didn't change, so Gigadramon continued, his battle-trained mind jumping to what he thought was the obvious conclusion... "I'll help you kill those kids! We'll be heroooo...!!" Dragudramon's eyes flashed, and his entire body burned with anger as he started to squeeze and pull at Gigadramon, crushing the metal body like the shell of a hard-boiled egg.
Underneath the city below them, Machinedramon was getting fed up with the futile attacks of the Digidestined Digimon and Andromon. "GIGA CANNON!" He rasped, firing energy bolts continuously from his cannons, demolishing the thousands of tons of concrete above within seconds.
Pulling back to weave about the blasts, Dragudramon felt the presence of the Digidestined in his 'soul'... He also felt the cold, metallic energy of Machinedramon pervading the area, instantly raising Dragudramon's desire to fight and protect to their highest levels. Without thinking about consequences, he turned in the air to power dive directly at Machinedramon's energy pattern, still holding Gigadramon as if crucified in his claws and teeth.
While there are many benefits to the sensory-enhancing capability of the Crest of Compassion, not all of them can function when the wearer is overly emotional... Long story short, Dragudramon and Gigadramon smashed into the remnants of an office building on the edge of the hole. As Gigadramon's head tore through the walls and cubicle partitions, the ground groaned before giving way with a rumbling growl of snapping concrete, glass, and power cables...The entire complex toppled into the hole, smashing Machinedramon with a pile of concrete and steel mixed with office furniture.
At the bottom of the hole...
Kari was glowing again, that odd pink light that carried great energy to revitalize friendly Digimon and repel evil.
"Agumon! It's time to Digivolve!" Tai shouted, taking out his Digivice.
"Let's go! Agumon WARP-Digivol..." the orange, show-stealing Digimon began to say when a stray office chair fell onto Tai's head, managing to knock the headstrong boy out cold.
Sora rushed to Tai's side, using her arm to shield her face from flying debris as Machinedramon shredded the collapsed building's superstructure with a single 'Dragon Fire'.
"Tai! Come on! We need Wargreymon's help!" She shouted above the din, patting his face gently.
"I'd say he's unconscious..." Izzy commented. "And we, in a manner of speaking, are in big trouble without Wargreymon and his Dramon Destroyers."
Kari shook her head. "No. We've got help on the way." She stated firmly, standing her ground against all the debris and flak...
"Who? We don't know where anyone is, and Metalgarurumon's the only other Mega level on our side." Izzy replied, helping Sora and Agumon pull Tai out of immediate danger.
"Benjamon's coming. I'd duck, everyone."
"What?"
The light at the bottom of the hole fell into darkness as Dragudramon passed overhead, flapping his great armored wings and accelerating towards Machinedramon in a bombing run. Gigadramon had long since passed out from pain, and hung limply in the silver talons and teeth of his captor... until Dragudramon let go, dropping Gigadramon on top of Machinedramon before spreading his wings and soaring sharply upwards into the sunlight before turning around to make another run.
Gigadramon's battered body deleted after colliding heavily with Machinedramon's head, turning to bits of black data that clouded the sky. Before the air had even cleared, Dragudramon landed between Machinedramon and the Digi-Destined, glowering fiercely at the mechanical monstrosity. "Sorry, but your army's in a shambles, your two most powerful servants are destroyed, and your scheduled opponent has been changed to me. What else can go wrong for the mighty Machinedramon today?" he hissed, picking up a chunk of concrete the size of a minivan and hurling it at Machinedramon's empty head.
"What are you doing back here?" Angemon asked, flying above Dragudramon's left shoulder.
The concrete splintered against Machinedramon's raised forearm with a resounding crack.
"I claimed Machinedramon back at the beginning, just before I vanished." Dragudramon rumbled, never taking his eyes off Machinedramon. "Get everyone out."
Angewomon now hovered over Dragudramon's right shoulder. "Why are you always fighting alone? We haven't been able stop Machinedramon together, and..."
The great metal wings flapped irritably. "Don't take this the wrong way gorgeous, but mind your own business. This time, I don't want to win. I want to go down fighting, so that I won't interfere anymore."
"Interfere with what?" Agumon asked, still trying to rouse Tai.
"Your destiny. I'm nothing but a fluke, and as long as I exist, I am a threat to your saving the world. NOW LET ME DO WHAT I HAVE TO!" Dragudramon snapped back, walking forward. "Machinedramon! I have destroyed Megadramon and Gigadramon...You are the only opposing Dramon left for me to fight in your pathetic empire."
"So?" Machinedramon rasped, brandishing his claws. "They are as nothing compared to me. You, too, are nothing; merely an ant to be crushed in a cog."
"So you say..." Dragudramon and Machinedramon now circled, moving away from the Digi-Destined. "Care to back it up, you aluminum-foil freak?"
"GIGA CANNON!" Machinedramon attacked, hunkering down to let Dragudramon have it with both barrels of his steel cannon.
Dragudramon's wings folded over his neck and head, the broad metal surfaces taking the full force of the energy blasts. Even with his talons locked into the ground, Dragudramon slid backwards under the assault, cutting deep furrows in the concrete. "Is that all you got?" he shouted, opening his wings. "I've eaten hot sauces with more kick than that!"
Machinedramon pumped extra blaster fuel into his cannons. "GIGA CANNON!" the tin terror shouted, unleashing a furious blast. When the glowing beams smashed into Dragudramon's wings their force of impact ripped Dragudramon from the ground and hurled him into a skyscraper foundation behind. A network of cracks grew around the dramon-shaped hole; creaks and groans filled the dusty air as the pillar began to buckle under the weight of the building above.
Machinedramon leapt driving Dragudramon's back deeper into the wall with a full-body ram. The feeling of something tearing into Dragudramon's scaly back joined the sharp pain of compression; Machinedramon's tackle had forced a broken steel bar up under the layered armor of scales and into the soft flesh underneath.
Roaring in anger and defiance, Dragudramon grabbed Machinedramon's arm as it swept in for an uppercut, the Chrome-Digizoid armor that protected his arms, legs, and underside clanking deafeningly on Machinedramon's metal hide.
After positioning his powerful legs against the support, Dragudramon pushed off from the concrete and steel piling and launched himself over Machinedramon's head.
"GIGA CANNON!" Machinedramon rasped, his bolts missing Dragudramon's arms and flat tail by a few inches. The beams of destructive energy raced on to blow away a large chunk of the same tormented and strained pillar that had held Dragudramon.
Up and over Machinedramon's cannons Dragudramon sailed, curling his sixty-foot body into a ball. His forearms maintained their grip on Machinedramon, pulling the Dark Master off the floor while Dragudramon fell to it. Even with Machinedramon's superior mass, Dragudramon's flip and drop lifted Machinedramon up and over in a tight arc. As Dragudramon's hind legs smashed into the floor, his silver talons released Machinedramon. The steel beast spun through the air and landed face down at the opposite end of the trench.
Hissing and snapping, Dragudramon charged across the stinking, slippery battlefield.
"DRAGON INFERNO!" He bellowed, breathing a plume of white-hot fire onto the prone figure. All around Machinedramon the sewers melted and ran like lava from a volcano, forming clouds of steam and smoke from which Machinedramon's shadow rose, seemingly unharmed.
To the side, the Digi-Destined watched. Tai was still unconscious, but had been moved under Birdramon's great orange wings so that they could be evacuated quickly if the need arose.
Tentomon lifted his claws from in front of his eyes to peek at the violent exchange of blows between Machinedramon and Dragudramon. The sparks each Dramon struck from his foe's armor were reflected in Tentomon's green eyes like meteors in a twilight sky. "This is madness!" he squealed, as Machinedramon slashed down on Dragudramon's back, tearing off a patch of scales. Green ichor oozed from the wound and the scales on Machinedramon's claws,
Dragudramon roared, using his 'Dragon Slicer' attack to strike Machinedramon's face with two slashes, talons raking across and into hard metal. Several triangular teeth fell from the steely mouth, and oil leaked from some of the gouges down the boxy muzzle. Claw marks on Machinedramon's neck resulted in slowed head motions to avoid overstressing the metal.
The fight lapsed into exchanges of blows to the head at several points, trading off strikes as metal hit metal with a steely ring. Long strips of flesh were scoured from Dragudramon's face and hung like festive ribbons from his skull.
The only unflinching observers were Digimon Champion level and above, and Kari (Tai didn't flinch only because he couldn't, of course). "I thought we were friends..." Sora murmured in between the clangs and screams. "But Dragudramon doesn't want us to help him. He won't even look at us!"
"Dragudramon must be looking at us, or we'd have been trampled by now." Izzy said, "I wish the others were here. Joe would know what to do about Tai, and Metalgarurumon would be a great advantage over Machinedramon."
"Correct. Dragudramon spends a quarter second every five seconds checking our position." Andromon intoned his blank analyzing stare not missing much of the action. "When he looks at us, he gets hit by Machinedramon."
Machinedramon's massive shoulder rammed Dragudramon's metal chest, knocking the ultimate-level dramon on his back with a crash. Then, with a simple stride, Machinedramon's clawed steel hind legs crunched into Dragudramon's spread wings, pinning them to the floor.
"DRAGON FIRE!" Machinedramon announced without ceremony, driving his right hand into Dragudramon's breastplate. Machinedramon mashed savagely and repeatedly with the three sharp digits claws splayed to hit the widest area possible, a jackhammer motion that beat Dragudramon into the floor, shattering ribs and the spinal column almost instantly, even as the Chrome-Digizoid armor of his crests try valiantly to absorb the shocks. A crushing blow causes a fissure to appear in the thick armor plating, which widens, fractures, and shatters under the next few blows. The symbol of the crest of Compassion breaks apart, falling off Dragudramon's body in rattling chunks, revealing yellow scales.
Rather than plunging through Dragudramon's soft underside, Machinedramon's claws seek the struggling left wing, pounding the armor to pieces and ripping through the membrane. Methodically, logically, the wing is pounded and torn to pieces, leaving only a bleeding stump on Dragudramon's back.
Screaming in pain, Dragudramon lashed his long, sharp tail, miraculously still able to move despite his broken back. With green ichor oozing from his mouth, Dragudramon roars, "DRAGON SLICER!" and lashed his silvery tail down on Machinedramon's unprotected back.
Powered by desperation, the sharp-edged metal tail slices through the red and blue tubes that provide fuel to Machinedramon's Giga Cannon with an audible snap.
Now Machinedramon leapt away roaring and snarling, leaving the right wing pristine but useless because of all the other injuries sustained. The Dark Master spewed blaster fuel from the severed blue and red hoses; the cut ends shimmied and writhed like snakes, covering Machinedramon with thick orange fluid.
Using most of his remaining strength to lift his tattered and battered head from the ground, Dragudramon took a deep breath...
"DRAGON INFERNO!"
"NO!" Machinedramon bellowed, knowing the wave of fire rushing to the fuel puddle at his feet could be the end of him.
The orange pool caught fire so fast that the air was above was shoved aside with a WOMPH. Out of the hellish blaze came Machinedramon, charging at the helpless Dragudramon in a blind rage. Fire covered every surface, and spurted from the ends of the severed fuel lines, igniting and sending a rain of fire into the air.
The Dark Master didn't make it in time.
The hoses burned through, and the flames ran into the supply box... then down, down, down into Machinedramon's internal fuel storage. A grating roar turned to an explosion as the confined fuel ignited and exploded, smashing through Machinedramon, blasting off his stubby tail. The force of the escaping blast lifted the hundred-ton terror into the air, smashing him into a hospital at the edge of the wide trench.
Dragudramon blinked, tired... The world was slipping, getting dim. At least this time his death had a point. This time, he'd die having done what he knew was right.
He became vaguely aware of touches on his still-armored forearms and neck. He couldn't see them, but he knew the Digi-Destined were there beside him. Foolish... Machinedramon wasn't dead...
He tried to open his mouth, to warn them... Nothing. His jaw was too heavy now.
Dragudramon.
"Uhn." He thought. "Come to see me off, have you?"
We don't know. You might not delete here.
"Well," Dragudramon knew he was speaking to the creators of the Digital World; he didn't know of any Digimon with telepathy aside from Psisauromon. "I sure think this feels like it. I don't suppose you could warn Sora, Izzy, and Kari that Machinedramon's still around?"
They know. Even though you prevented them from winning at first by incapacitating Tai and Wargreymon, you have now weakened Machinedramon to the point where they can defeat him.
"That's all I could hope for. I wanted to be the one to finish him, though."
That chance may still be available. Would you take it?
"Absolutely." Dragudramon thought without hesitation. "I never got to say good bye, and that's what I came here to do."
Then you will rise, Dragudramon.
"Bah. I'm enough of a program to know that I'm hurt real bad, even worse than with Puppetmon..."
Andromon's blank stare kept watch on the hospital where Machinedramon had crashed.
"Machinedramon is not moving." He reported woodenly.
"Dragudramon's not moving, either!" An understatement of the year to be sure, but TK said it anyway, rubbing tears from his eyes.
"I don't get it. After all that, surely one of them would be deleted." Izzy said, his rather cynical observation losing the power to be called disrespectful because of the sad look in his eyes as he brushed a fairly intact piece of Dragudramon's neck with his hand. "Nothing seems to work normally, the way it did when we first came to the Digital world. All of those battles where the Digimon we defeated was destroyed cleanly, not bleeding and causing surface damage."
"He is too human to pay attention to the normal rules." Kari said, leaning on Angewomon's leg. "Benjamon just isn't like other Digimon just because he looks human... He acts human. He thinks like a human and like a Digimon."
"Can't you fix him, Kari?" TK asked quietly.
"He doesn't want to be fixed..." Kari answered, her eyes a little unfocused from exhaustion and feeling that other personality, the other Kari Yagami, the person the Numemon had called 'Queen Kari', taking hold again with all her power.
With a push from Angewomon's gentle hand, Kari was back on her feet, strong, an unmovable force in the Digital world. As her aura began to glow a visible pink, she said...
"But something else does."
Do you feel it?
"Ah, welcome back! I was getting lonely. Say, Why aren't I dead yet?" Dragudramon thought jovially. He'd been lying on his deathbed of concrete, dirt, and bedrock for several minutes, and knew that something was not right with this picture.
We are having Kari repair the damage done to you.
"That's nice. But Kari? How can she fix me? She's not my programmer, is she?"
Your programmer is known as 'Drowzee1'. We meant to inform you earlier.
"Oh, thanks." Dragudramon grumbled. "Sorta pointless now, I think. But how can Kari fix me?"
Kari is the forerunner in the next stage of human evolution. She is joined intimately with the Digital world and information. Kari can exert control over the Digital world with her light, healing the injured Digimon.
"Oh. Does Tai have the same potential?"
To a lesser extent. He will be pivotal to defeating a threat we perceive in the future. Do you feel Kari's light healing you now?
"There is a certain warmth from my right side, I think..."
Good. Now go, and claim Machinedramon's life...
Dragudramon's eyes opened, blinking gold and silver. The pain in his back had vanished, and he didn't feet the wetness of his blood or the itchiness that would have been present had it dried.
"Urugh...." He rumbled, clearing his throat before spitting a sedan-sized glob of sticky green blood and mucus off to the left, where it stuck harmlessly to the wall.
"Disgusting." Someone said.
"Don't have to tell me twice. You weren't the one who had to taste it." Dragudramon rumbled back.
"And that's even worse to hear!" Tentomon said, hovering in front of Dragudramon's face. "But are you all right?"
"I'm not dead, Getting better..." Dragudramon knew no one here would understand that joke, but made it anyway.
"That's good to hear! We were worried about you!" Sora said. "But why did you do all that alone?"
"Frankly, I was hoping I'd be destroyed, but I wanted the chance to say good bye first. Something in me just made me want to stay with the fight, keep attacking even when there was no hope of winning..." he chuckled, even as he conversationally mentioned his sacrifice and got a gasp from most of the Digi-Destined. "If I didn't make it clear before, I'm a wild card. There's no telling if my presence will be a help or hindrance to you all. Like poor unconscious Tai. If I'd not been around, he and Wargreymon would have quickly defeated Machinedramon. But instead, I ended up fighting. What if Tai had been killed? What if that falling building had crushed every one of you?"
He got several blank stares. Andromon, of course, always had a blank stare, but...
"My point is that I'm not safe to have around. I left Joe and Mimi because I found out that your destiny is like a powerful train, and I'm a loose piece of track that could get you where you need to go, but also derail the entire train in a horrible wreck. I can't take that chance. That's why I wanted to be stopped by Machinedramon."
"Now I see why Matt doesn't like you..." Sora murmured. "You take everything upon yourself, try to make the best decision, even if it means sacrificing your life..."
Dragudramon sat up, flapping his wings, the left of which was still unarmored. "So?" there was an edge to his voice.
"Matt told me you said 'you did not want to die' after Puppetmon just about destroyed you... But now, you're all too willing to get killed. You planned ahead for us, with food and bandages, but those are all gone, and now that you don't know what will happen, you're leaving us."
Dragudramon tried not to listen, instead picking up the pieces of wing armor that had been broken off and placing it back on the naked bone and membrane structure. The chrome-digizoid turned to liquid and flowed around his wing, and was soon completely re-covered. In the reflection of his wing, he saw Kari glowing for a split second, then dropping to her knees.
With a gasp, he flung himself towards her, and kept Kari's head from hitting the floor with a gentle hand.
"See what I mean? You're playing too many roles at once. You can't help hiding who you are, but we see it."
"See what?" Dragudramon said absently, his eyes soft as he helped Gatomon hold the little Digi-Destined.
"You're scared. You're always scared. You're almost always lying to us because you don't truly know what to do... And you have to follow your heart, which you don't trust anywhere as much as your head."
"Quiet!" Dragudramon snarled, upset that he'd been so obvious about it. He'd be damned if he'd admit it, though. "Andromon! Where's Machinedramon?"
"Machinedramon is in the remains of the hospital above. He has not moved." Came the ready reply.
"Thanks. I'm going to finish this fight! Everyone, get away from this side of the trench!" Dragudramon spread his wings and launched into the air, in such a rush to leave that he forgot his broken chest plate, lying like a shattered silver eggshell, on the floor of the ditch.
With only a few powerful sweeps of his large wings, Dragudramon flew up in front of the hospital, and peered inside.
Machinedramon struck, leaping out of the wreckage and throwing his huge arms around Dragudramon, forming a squeezing, crushing, compacting bear hug as both Dramon plummeted to the floor.
What made matters worse was that Machinedramon had had a large hole blown in his chest, and the edges were jagged and sharp. So when Machinedramon locked his arms together and pulled, Dragudramon's chest was pierced, letting blood flow freely as both heard the ribs cracking.
Down and down they fell, smashing into the distressed floor at the bottom of the hole. Fortunately, the Digi-Destined had gotten away, and now stood by an entrance to some undamaged sewers.
Machinedramon tightened his steely grip, gears grinding, pistons screaming. From the hole in his chest, another threat came... Machinedramon's dark energies, the forces that moved him, were leaking into Dragudramon, frying every piece they touched.
For the second time today, Dragudramon was dying. His blows lacked the leverage and reach they'd had before, only managing to bat at the Dark Master's head.
"Won't he ever stay out of trouble?" Kari asked, regaining her strength and glowing again.
"Kari, be careful!" Gatomon said, "Don't exhaust yourself."
But Kari Yagami stood strong again, her light pure and reviving. "Digivolve. He may need our help this time."
"Gatomon Digivolve to... ANGEWOMON!"
The beautiful angel stood silently by her partner's side while the smallest of their group waged an unseen war against the darkness.
Trapped between the dark energies of Machinedramon's inner workings and Kari's healing light, Dragudramon was hurt and healed repeatedly, the two forces canceling each other out. There was constant pain through every digital nerve as his code flipped from damaged to restored.
Then, something snapped and Dragudramon went still, absolutely rigid in his captor's embrace.
"Gray..." Dragudramon whispered... "Neutral. Fluid. Balance."
"What?" Machinedramon rasped, then laughed harshly. "This poor Dramon has been driven insane!" he howled, trying to tighten his crushing grip further.
The Dark Master failed. The servos in his arms whined in protest against further compacting.
"No..." Dragudramon said softly. "No."
With great deliberation, the ultimate pushed apart the locked metal arms that had formerly been inescapable. Dragudramon stepped back, calm and collected, ignoring his bleeding chest. He looked at the ground as if puzzling something over.
"What's he talking about?" asked Birdramon, to which Agumon shrugged.
"Unknown." Andromon stated. "But his strength is now greater than that of Machinedramon."
Dragudramon sat between the Digi-Destined and Machinedramon, his talons raking the ground in random patterns.
"Why'd he stop fighting?" TK whispered, looking up to a similarly confused Angemon.
Kari's light faded, and as she slowly collapsed from exhaustion, Angewomon caught her, holding the light of the Digital world in her arms.
"I lost him..." Kari murmured. "To something bigger... he's trying to deal with something that combines the power of good and evil, light and dark."
"Gennai once talked to us about a disrupted balance here in the Digital world." Izzy said, staring as Dragudramon simply knocked all of Machinedramon's attacks away with one forearm. "Could Benjamon have found it, within himself?"
"What are you saying, Izzy?" Tentomon asked, unable to take his eyes off the two Dramon.
"I really don't know."
Dragudramon nodded, standing up to face the frustrated and damaged Machinedramon again. "This has gone far enough." He murmured, spreading his wings. "Your disturbance of the balance ends here."
"You cannot defeat the perfect machine!" Machinedramon growled, black energy still coursing from the hole in his chest.
"Tell it to John Henry." Dragudramon shot back, stretching his wings to the fullest; somehow, the air around them was shimmering with tiny sparkles of light that settled on the silvery armor.
"This feels wrong..." Sora whispered, as she watched the glittering specks emerge from the walls, the sky, the floor, herself... from everything.
Over the shimmering surfaces of Dragudramon's wings, white arcs of electricity snapped and crackled, sometimes bridging the gap between the wings, sometimes grounding on the floor. The air was filled with energy, making everyone's hair move erratically as it filled with charge.
Izzy looked at his laptop bag in horror. "Oh no... what if this screws up the drive?" he said, loud enough for Sora to hear.
Sora glared at Izzy, her brown eyes fierce, then surprised, as her hat lifted from her head.
Machinedramon stood frozen, unable to approach Dragudramon because of the energy fields that were emanating from those wings.
"DRAGON FLAAAARRRE!" Dragudramon bellowed, and the arcs between his wings concentrated, becoming constant lines that flowed from wing to wing, crossing other beams until all of them shared a common intersection where the energy formed a large sphere. The ball shrank down, becoming brighter as it compacted, then erupted, filling the curve of Dragudramon's silver wings with furious plasma bursts that formed a solid wave of destructive force.
Pulsing in colors across the spectrum, the wall of energy enveloped Machinedramon and tore the Dark Master apart. Piece by piece, the Digi-Destined saw Machinedramon's shadow break apart before disintegrating.
The flare of light and heat directed solely at Machinedramon vanished. Dragudramon collapsed to the floor, chest heaving as he struggled for breath.
The Crest of Compassion melted, forming rivers of metal that reformed the armor that protected Dragudramon's belly.
"You did it!" TK cheered.
Dragudramon nodded happily, still panting. "Surprise to m... to me..." he said, stumbling over the simple words as the reactivated crest of compassion informed him that all was not right. "Something's happening, and I don't like it..." he growled, staring at the place where Machinedramon had stood.
"The Digital world should be recompiling the city so that it'll come back normally." Izzy explained.
"Correct. We should go, or be caught in the preparatory destruction." Andromon agreed.
Dragudramon continued to stare. "That'd be uniform... this is just a... a..."
Agumon looked at the space where Dragudramon's gaze was directed. "A what? I don't see anything..." he sniffed. "Or smell anything..." he listened in the awkward silence... "Or hear anything."
With a gusty sigh, Dragudramon turned. "Maybe it's just my imagination. Well. Looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer."
Sora smiled. "That's better. Come on, we've got to get Tai up and out of here before the reconfiguration occurs."
They pulled Tai onto Birdramon's foot, where Izzy and Sora held him and Agumon held onto the other large foot. Angemon took TK, Angewomon was already hovering with Kari, and Andromon was halfway up the side of the ditch, climbing up a vertical wall by punching out handholds.
"Sora," Dragudramon rumbled quietly. "Since I now owe you all my life, again... You are right. I'm scared. I just thought you'd like to know before all this is over."
"That's all right," she said. "You're forgiven."
A rock flew by sideways.
"What was that?" Angemon asked, his long flaxen hair pulling towards the site of Machinedramon's destruction.
More rocks flew, larger and faster. Dragudramon snaked his head around, and saw...
A rip. A hole in reality, pulling everything in.
"Oh, Shards and shells." He muttered.
Izzy stared, transfixed by the sight. "An anomaly..." he said.
"Let's go!" Angemon shouted, and four of the five flight worthy Digimon rose from the bottom of the trench. Dragudramon remained behind, buildings starting to fall from the edges of the trench, falling and vanishing into the swirling gray hole.
"What are you doing now?!" Angewomon shouted at him.
"I don't know. Facing my fear of the unknown..." Dragudramon bellowed back, above the rushing air.
"This is no time for Heroics!" Izzy yelled down.
"Then I'm too tired to fly!" Dragudramon answered, digging his talons into the ground. His tail lifted, pointing back to the hole in space. "Especially against this!"
Birdramon started to turn. "Then turn back to Benjamon, and we'll carry you out!" Sora shouted, even though she knew what his answer would be.
"NO! If you come back for me, you won't be able to get away! I'll try to stop this thing somehow, it's my fault, anyway!"
By now, Tentomon had abandoned trying to fly and was clutching to Angemon's foot. "You're mad!"
"I know, I know." Dragudramon hunkered down, a block of concrete the size of a school bus ripping from the floor and clobbering his back. "I suppose this is as good a time as any, to say goodbye!"
"NO!" Sora screamed, so loud that Tai awoke, blinking.
"Tell Matt I'm sorry I couldn't talk to him in person. And For gods sake, don't worry about me! Just remember me from time to time, like Wizardmon and Whamon!"
The pull increased, and Birdramon shuddered, working harder to fly... "Sora, we must go!"
And so the Digi-Destined flew away, safe. Andromon had long since escaped the pull. Dragudramon had watched them all go, knowing he'd probably never see them again.
Once the Digi-Destined had left, Dragudramon clutched tightly to the floor. Without anything else to do, he blinked tears of pain and loss from his silver and gold eyes, and sang.
Echoing through the city, his baritone rose over the creaking and crashing of buildings being pulled in by the rip in space.
"Take my hand... I'm a stranger in paradise, all lost in a wonderland... A stranger in paradise! If I stand starry-eyed, that's a danger in paradise, for mortals who stand beside an angel like youuuaaaarrraaahhh!"
The song ended as Dragudramon's strength left him at last, and he slid into the unknown of his own creation. As if sated, the rift vanished, leaving behind nothing. Absolutely nothing. That which created it, was destroyed by it. Balanced.
Back in the real world, one person knew what had happened. He was crying.
"LYLA!" Drowzee1 bawled, typing frantically at the keyboard of a supercomputer.
The efficient virtual secretary and computer interface appeared next to Drowzee1's deep cushioned chair. She was plain in appearance and formal in dress, wearing the same business suit as she always did. There wasn't anything else in her programmed wardrobe.
"Sir?" she answered, over his sobs.
"BENJAMON'S GONE!" Drowzee1 wailed, burying his face in his hands. He wasn't taking this well.
"I know, sir. But his delete signal was not detected, sir."
Drowzee1 took off his glasses, letting them drop to the floor. "Buh... But... but he's GONE!"
Lyla waved her hand in front of a monitor that charted Benjamon's vital signs. The view magnified. "Perhaps not, sir."
Drowzee1's tear-stung eyes stared at minor fluctuations in the readings.
"They are faint, Ben," she said, calling Drowzee1 by his real name. "But they are there. Benjamon is still functioning, somewhere."
Somewhere amidst the matrices of data composing the Digital world, the creators were surprised.
Well. We hadn't expected that.
-THE END-
Author's Note:
That's it, people! My run of show-paralleling fics is complete! I've already got a good head start on my next fic, which involves Benjamon in an entirely new world, with a unique history and factions that vie for supremacy. You won't want to miss it! Especially since I'm going to work on making my writing snappier, with less commas and ellipsis. Also, I think it might qualify as 'R'-rated material for explicit content without passing into NC-17 territory. Ooo la la, or something to that effect.
I'd like to thank Ultram, golmon, and Natrone at Megchan's Digimon Sekai Message boards for providing information on the Digimon of the Metal/machine Empire.
Oh, and if you think my method of getting Wargreymon out of the picture was too contrived, I feel the same way... Honestly, knocking Tai out with an office chair...
Sorry of you thought the battle was 'Dragon on'. Heehee! Ha ha ha! 'Dragon on'! Heehee heee! (Giant clown hammer BONK) OW!
Incidentally, I used some of my theories in here, especially about the Yagami family.
I know the following typically goes at the beginning of fanfiction, but I am too lazy to edit all my chapters. So:
I do not hold the rights to Digimon (tm) or any characters of the Digimon (tm) Franchise. I wish I did.
The all fanmade Digimon (tm) are the intellectual property of their creators and have been credited in the endnotes of the appropriate chapters.
Benjamon and his Digivolutions are mine, MINE! No touchy without permission!
I, Drowzee1, hereby give permission for this story, whole or in part, to be MSTed.
(Sounds like Excel Saga, don't it?)
I'm sure it can be done, especially for riffs on comma overuse and sentence length.
Do your WORST, so I can do my best.
So, in closing:
Thank you to those who read this all the way through, Thank you to those who review,
Thank you to those with suggestions, Thank you to those who know a good rhyme for 'suggestions'.
And to those of you who didn't read this, I'm ashamed of you! How would YOU like to have something you poured months of work and agony into to be ignored?
Yeah, you're sorry now, but where were you when I was writing this? If you truly... (sniffle) CARED about me...
Oh... That's right. You won't read this, either, will you?! You're walking on thin ice buddy. I'll IGNORE YOU LIKE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IGNORED BEFORE!
Starting... Now!